Cadeau Boutique: Brand Identity

Cadeau Boutique, a new upscale boutique concept about to open in Brookline, MA needed an identity. The owner, an experienced boutique retailer, wanted the brand to evoke the organic sophistication of late 19th century Paris without being kitchy-- it should read like the contemporary boutique that it was. The brand needed to evoke feelings of prestige appropriate for their fine handmade jewelry and designer clothes, but they would offered products at many price points in their brick-and-mortar store in a central neighborhood, so they needed to be approachable enough to attract foot traffic.

This is the  the first of its two locations, soon after the grand opening.

Timeless, yet contemporary-feeling Bodoni evoked luxury fashion, referenced the serif retail signage in late 19th century Paris, and didn't read as overtly retro or kitchy. While I sketched out many graphical marks-- mostly ribbons as requested by the owner-- the simple arched text suited the logo nicely. The initial logo type included the text "Boutique and Gallery" rather than just Boutique. We updated the logo in 2024 to better represent their new location in the South End which was a bit smaller, and did not accommodate the gallery function.

I also included guidance about colors, type, and other visual considerations.

Over the years, I made various signs, posters, cards, and documents in this voice.

(Many of these were sent to printers that use different color profiles or even printed on office printers that use RGB by default, so the digital presentations might differ in hue/value/intensity somewhat.)

OER Badge for Legal Hackers International: Campaign Identity

Legal Hackers International needed a face for their campaign to promote Open Educational Resources for Legal Education. They wanted various versions of the badge but had not yet defined the meaning for each badge or defined the core communicative purpose of the badge-- the people's motivation for displaying the badge, where it would be displayed, etc. I created a number of options with very different vibes for them to use as references:

The landed on the open book/doorway concept which I polished up and made various forms so it would be useful in various contexts, and provided guidance for their usage.

Harvard Law School Library Donor Bookplates

Harvard Law Library needed a set of bookplates to highlight donor philanthropy. The recent bookplates-- mostly made by librarians using word processor templates-- lacked the polish of the professionally designed bookplates they commissioned in the 19th and early 20th century.

To highlight the history of the institution and its brand, and lasting impact of the donor's philanthropy, I used the late 18th and early 19th century plates as inspiration. Beautiful, timeless Baskerville provided all of the finesse and class the job commanded, and the classic red/black/ecru combination fit perfectly. To communicate the recency of their contributions, I used some slightly more contemporary layout choices in the text.